PROCESSING OF REACTOR FUELS BY LIQUID METALS

Technical Report · Sat Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1959

OSTI ID:4269148

Martin, F S; Jenkins, I L; Keen, N J

When irradiated uranium is melted, the more reactive fission products are rapidly concentrated in surface skins by reaction with oxide or carbide impurities which are invaribly present in the metal. A small amount ot plutonium also tends to concentrate in the skin; this tendency can be prevented by melting in the presence of calcium metal, when the more reactive fission products, e.g., rare earth metals, dissolve in the calcium metal phase. Chemical aspects of this technique have been studied with plutonium--uranium alloy fuels such as might be used in a fast reactor. The distributions of various fission products between molten calcium and molten plutonium--uranium alloys have been determined. The alkali, alkaline earth, and rare earth metal fission products are extracted with very small losses of plutonium or uranium; the noble fission products are not extracted. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Berks, Eng.
• NSA Number: NSA-13-006499
• OSTI ID: 4269148
• Report Number(s): A/CONF.15/P/32
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALKALI METALS
CALCIUM
CALCIUM ALLOYS
CARBIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DISTRIBUTION
FISSION PRODUCTS
IMPURITIES
LAYERS
LIQUID METALS
MELTING
OXIDES
PERFORMANCE
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM ALLOYS
QUANTITY RATIO
RARE EARTHS
RECOVERY
REPROCESSING
SURFACES
URANIUM ALLOYS